


Split Second

by Fibi94



Series: Universe Echo [2]
Category: Designated Survivor (TV)
Genre: Episode 10 re-imagined, F/M, Kendra's boyfriend is an asshole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-20 23:36:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14904336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fibi94/pseuds/Fibi94
Summary: Everything can change in a split second, that's all it takes for everything to change... a blink of an eye





	1. Chapter 1

Tom found himself staring at the little creatures in front of him, all of them sleeping in their cots, their little heads covered by small pink and blue hats. It makes him smile thinking back to his own children born back when they could easily fit in his arms, small enough for him to carry them around with ease.

He remembers when Alex was close to giving birth to Leo, she asked him how many kids he wanted and he told her he wanted at least six, he smiles remember her telling him that she’ll give him four tops and the rest he’ll have to carry. He wonders if he could bring the issue up at some point, but he shakes the thought from his head. With the lives they lead right now there was no place for a baby, neither of them could give the attention and care to a baby. He feels Mike’s hand on his shoulder “Sir follow me right now.” He says, Tom feels him gently placing his hand on his shoulder and trying to pull him away, Tom turns to Mike and looks at him puzzled, “Mike what’s going on?” he asks, he sees his friend’s face harden, his jaw clenching, “Follow me sir, now!” Mike commands him this time, but Tom is stubborn, he stops using the railing along the wall to stop his feet from involuntary moving. “Mike?!”

“I swear to god man if you don’t get moving I’ll drag you to the car!” Mike explodes, it surprises Tom he never heard this tone from his usually calm and collected friend.

“I’m not going anywhere unless you tell me what’s going on.” Tom says standing his ground, Mike closes his eyes, “Of all the times to be stubborn!” he murmurs, looking at the agents around him he makes the decision, before Tom even knew what was happening Mike already had thrown him over his shoulder and made his way down to the garage where The Beast was waiting.

* * *

 

Kendra opens her eyes, blinking a couple times, there’s a throbbing pain on her head, “Ouch.” She murmurs,  “Kendra? Are you alright?” Kendra opens her eyes and looks at Alex sitting still on the other side of her, her seatbelt still on, “Alex! I’m fine, I think I banged my head too hard.”

Alex chuckles, she tries to look around, trying to find what happened, she groans as she moves her head, a splitting pain on her neck is making her dizzy. “Yeah, I think I got whiplash” she says.

Soon the door is thrown open and one of Alex’s agents barges in, “Ma’am, Miss Daynes, are you alright?” he asks, Kendra smirks at the look of worry in his face, these cars have doors at the size of a tank of course they’d be alright. “We’re both fine Danny” Alex tells him smiling, he breaths out “Can you move?” he asks, Kendra nods, “I can try” Alex says, she tries to move but she feels a sharp pain on her leg that almost causes her to yell, instead a soft yelp leaves her lips.

“Ma’am?” Daniel asks in concern, Alex, with her eyes closed tightly biting her lip, shakes her head, “My leg hurts, think I broke it but I can try.” She tells him, Daniel nods “I’ll help Miss Daynes out ma’am and I’ll help you out.

He helps Kendra walk out, she found out that her shoulder is probably dislocated but thankfully that was all the injuries she had. He returns shortly and helps Alex out of the car without causing more trouble to her right leg, Alex was still felling it throbbing from the pain but she bit her lip as she was sitting in one of the undamaged cars in enough distance from the smoking car.

“We need to get you both to the hospital; the ambulance will be here in five.” Daniel tells them smiling, he gives his jacket to Kendra who was shaking probably from the shock of the accident.

“Thank you Danny.” Alex says, he walks a bit to the side letting the two of them alone, or at least as alone as they could be.

“How are you Kendra?” Alex asks. Kendra chuckles, “Good.”  Alex looks at her, her look makes Kendra shiver a bit, it’s the exact same her mother gives her to this day every time she lies. It makes her smirk a bit “I’m getting there.”

* * *

 

Tom was thrown in the car, his head smashing on the door on the other side, he can feel it throbbing from the pain and it makes him groan, before he realizes it Mike is next to him keeping his head down as they speed away from the hospital. Tom is getting sick, everything around him is spinning and the speed of the car is not helping at all.

As soon as they get away from the building and in the open road Mike lets the back of his head go and Tom is able to look up, he leans his head back hoping it will help the nausea, it takes him a while until he’s able to speak “Mike what the hell is happening?” he asks, he sees Mike biting his lip refusing to answer, “Please Mike.”

“The first lady was in a car accident, she is alive and will soon be transferred to a hospital” the moment the words leave his mouth Tom feels the nausea coming back and everything around him seem to be spinning all over again. “Oh no, no, Alex.”

Mike looks at Tom losing his mind slowly he tries to get his attention “Sir,” but it’s like Tom doesn’t hear him. “Sir.” He tries again but his friend seems to be in a world of his own, she sees him trying to reach for the door and he wonders what is he trying to do, “Tom!” he calls his name reaching forward and grabbing his hand tight, slowly removing it from the door handle, Tom’s eyes focus on him, they are glassy, it feels like getting shot all over again seeing the tears he bites his lip, he knows right now he doesn’t need his friend, he doesn’t need to be cuddled or comforted he needs he tightens the hold on Tom’s hand and he clutches his shoulder with the other, “She’s alive she has some broken bones and maybe a concussion but she’s alive. Get it together.” He tells him, the little shake he gave him at the end seems to pull him back from whatever dark place he found himself in. he blinks a couple times and looks around the car it’s as if he’s realizing just now that he is inside a moving vehicle. His eyes turn back to Mike and focus on his face, “Thank you Mike.” He says, his voice seems to be more grounded in reality. Mike smiles, it’s hallow, he looks away pretty soon after.

Tom looks outside of the car, the street lights are a blur as the car speeds through the empty roads.

“Ritter!” Mike’s voice makes him snap out of the hypnotic state the lights put him in, “Roger that.” He sees the relief washing over Mike, he wants to know what’s happening, “What’s happening?” he asks, the words barely manage to leave his lips, soft almost like a whisper. “Mike what is it?” he asks again, gathering all his strength to finally get it out.

“The first lady and Miss Daynes are safely off of the car and on their way to the hospital.” Mike says finally gathering his thoughts together.

“Oh thank god, can I talk to Alex?” Tom asks, there’s a smile on his lips, it feels almost weird considering the situation he was in. “Sir, she’s receiving first aid.” Mike says, Tom nods; it confuses him a little, why receiving first aid would stop her from speaking to him? “Then get me there.”

Mike looks at him puzzled, he heard what he was saying but he couldn’t really believe it, it’s weird that’s exactly what he would ask, and deep down he doesn’t know why he is even surprised but he is. “What?” one of the agents in the front asks.

“GET ME THERE!” Tom explodes this time, he doesn’t understand why everyone just keeps acting this way, he knows he’s not asking something crazy, he just wants to see his wife.

“Do it, GW” Mike says, the driver nods and the car makes a hard turn to the left, “This is Agent Ritter we need a perimeter in GW Phoenix is on his way.” He says, Tom looks at him in gratitude, “Thank you Mike.” He says reaching for his hand.

* * *

 

The car stops abruptly in the underground garage of the hospital Tom can’t control this sense of urgency that overwhelms him as he just throws the door open and starts almost running to the entrance of the hospital, he can hear Mike calling him, “SIR YOU NEED TO WAIT!”

His voice echoing in his head as he just speeds through corridors, all so dull grey around him. He walks in the ER everything around him seem to be frozen, not many people were around, some nurses are around, he finds one, a woman in her fifties who seems to be running the place.

“Excuse me where’s my wife?” he asks, the woman raises her head and looks at him; she smiles and closes the folder she was looking at.

“Sir, you need to wait your wife is on her ways to X-rays, she’ll be back soon.” Tom blinks, “She’s ok?” he asks, he knows she is, Mike told him so but he needs to hear it again, hear it from someone in with enough medical knowledge to be able to tell him, the woman smiles “Yes sir” the moment the words left her lips Tom felt a breath leave his lips, he felt calm and for the first time there was a smile, a real actual smile on his lips, “Thank you so much.”

He takes a couple breaths, trying to calm down his raging heart beat, he tried to get his thoughts together, he remembered the Kendra was in the car with Alex as well. He is almost shocked, how could he forget that one of his closest advisors was in the very same car his wife was. “How about Kendra Daynes?” he asks. The nurse seems to be surprised, she had already returned to the folder she was reading before, she looks up “Oh” she says, she scrabbles trying to find the information in the computer in front of him.

“She suffered a broken arm, a few bruises and a slight concussion, but she’ll be fine, if you wanna see her she’s in trauma three.” She tells him, Tom smiles awkwardly, “Thank you so much.” He tells her and turns around towards where she showed him trauma three was.

He stopped at the door looking at it, he bites his lip, what to say when walking in? He decides not to fret over it and just opened the door and walked in. Kendra seemed to have been asleep, “Kendra?”

Kendra opens her eyes, “Sir” she smiles and once again puts Tom at ease a bit. He walks closer to her bed and finds a plastic chair and pulls it closer sitting down. “How are you?” he asks.

Kendra smiles “I’m good, they gave me good painkillers.” She tries to joke; neither of them really were in the mood for jokes the severity of the situation hitting them a little too much.

“They knock you out pretty good don’t they?” Tom tries to joke, Kendra finally manages to ignore the fact that she had such a close brush with death. “Hell yeah.”

He smiles with Kendra, the air between them seemed to be more comfortable now, Mike walks in the room, he has a smile on his lips which only widens when he sees Tom and Kendra “Sir, the first lady is back in trauma 1” he tells him, Tom smiles widely, he turns to Kendra and sees her smiling back at him warmly. “Thank you Mike, so much.” He says Mike nods and turns around letting the two of them alone again, Tom turns to Kendra and reaches for her hand not in cast. “Kendra I’m so glad you’re ok, will you be released tonight?”

“Probably not sir, they’ll probably keep me for observation overnight.”

“Have some rest Kendra.”


	2. Chapter 2

Tom walked to the room he knew Alex was in, there was a young doctor outside the room, the young man tried to stop him from walking in, “Sir you can’t go in yet.” He says, Tom stops, he takes a step back, as if he doesn’t understand what was the doctor say. “Like hell I can’t!”

Mike sees Tom getting angrier as the doctor doesn’t move away. “Sir!” Tom ignores him completely and he keeps his attention to the doctor in front of him.

“Get out of my way!” the young doctor looks frightened by Tom’s explosion, Mike nods from behind Tom, he walks to the side letting Tom barge in the room.

Alex was lying on the bed across from him, there was a large bruise on her temple “Alex!” Tom runs to her, wrapping his arms around her he can finally breathe.

Alex can feel Tom’s breath on her neck his raging heart beating fast, she looks up from Tom’s shoulder and looks to the nurse in the other side, the woman is biting her lip trying not to laugh seeing the leader of the free world lying almost completely on top of wife, completely ignoring the almost five people in the room.

“Tom, hey.” Alex runs her fingers through his hair, “Oh thank god you’re alive.” He whispers against her skin. She smiles and leans down, “I am.” She whispers. The doctors seem to be getting uncomfortable waiting for them, she smiles and nudges Tom, “Tom honey.”

He pulls back for the first time since walking in “What?” he asks, Alex smiles and cups his face, “The doctors need to put my leg in a cast.” She tells him nodding to the doctor and nurses waiting. Tom turns around, “Oh,” he turns back to Alex, “I’ll sit up.”

“Thank you.” She tells him smiling and although he does sit up she notices that he doesn’t make a move to walk too far away, “Tom why don’t you go inform the kids? Maybe get them come over, I want to see them so much.”

“I can do that.” He says, he sneaks a kiss before turning around and walking out of the door. Mike is waiting right outside, and he is the first person he sees. He still feels paranoid, he doesn’t know why but he does. He leans closer to Mike before telling him “Mike, don’t walk an inch.” Mike pulls back a bit and nods, his answer comes in a whisper as he assures Tom he won’t.

Tom moves a little away from the ER halls, the outside of the building so tempting, the cold air almost calling him, but he surprisingly resists the urge to walk outside. He sees a window that was forgotten open a little down the corridor and he goes there, standing there feeling the wind on his face. He closes his eyes letting the cold December wind hit him on the face for a while before walking away, he sees a couple of plastic chairs there and it instantly hits him exactly how exhausted he feels. This entire ordeal aged him more than being president for a year has.

He sits down and leans back; he tries to get his phone out of his coat pocket. His hands were shaking but he tries to ignore it as he dials Leo’s number. He knows he has it saved somewhere but he’s trying to bite some time.

“Dad what’s going on there’s news, blowing up, is mom alright?” is the first thing that Tom hears as soon as Leo picks up the phone. He smiles and closes his eyes. “Yes don’t worry, she is in the hospital, has a broken leg, and some bruises, she’ll be fine.”

Leo breaths out, “Oh thank god!” he murmurs under his breath.

“I’ll make sure you guys brought here safely can you get Penny ready?” he asks Leo.

“Of course I will.” He responds immediately, he pauses for a moment but Tom knows he’s not done; he has something else to add so he waits. It doesn’t take Leo long to speak again. “Dad will you tell mom I love her?”

“Sure.” Tom says smiling, he knows that Leo won’t see it but he can’t stop himself really, not that it mattered. Leo’s relationship with Alex would always bring a smile to his lips.

He hangs up the whole and walks to Mike, he was still standing right outside the door to the trauma room not moving an inch. “Mike.” He says.

“Yes sir?”

“Can you make sure Penny and Leo are brought over as soon as possibly?” Tom asks, he knows Mike can do it, it makes him wonder how his life was when he didn’t have this man taking care of almost everything.

“Of course sir.” Mike says with a smile, the two men nod to one another, Tom starts walking back to the seating area, but few steps forward and he stops, he turns to Mike and tells him, “Thank you Mike.”

* * *

 

Alex winched when the doctor gently helps her leg, now wrapped in a bright red cast back on the bed. There was a question that was bugging her since coming in the hospital.

“Doctor I wanna know about Miss Kendra Daynes? Is she still here?” she asks, the doctor who had just finished putting her leg in a cast, Doctor Fernandez turns and smiles, “Yes ma’am she suffered a slight concussion so we had to keep her here for observation.” He tells her.

“Oh.” She is shocked she doesn’t know why she thought that Kendra wouldn’t be here, the doctor is already at the door when Alex stops him again, it’s a crazy idea the one she has but she won’t be able to live with herself unless she actually tries. “Excuse me!”

“Yes ma’am?”

“Could she be transferred in the same room as me?” Alex asks, her request shocks the doctor he’s not nearly as good at hiding it. She sees his eye twitching; he definitely didn’t expect this request. “Yeah but wouldn’t you want to be alone ma’am?” he asks, it makes Alex smile but she bites the inside of her cheek to stop it.  “No, I want Kendra there.” She says.

“Of course ma’am.”

The man walks out, Alex wonders how long it will take for Tom to barge in the room and the answer was actually not nearly as much as she thought.

“Hey” she tells him smiling, his smile is enough to light up the room in her eyes. He walks to her and sits down next to her, “Hey that’s red!” he says showing her cast. Alex narrows her eyes and punches him on the shoulder playfully, “I’m being festive Tom!” she tells him, he throws his head back and laughs, “Fine by me, I’ll get a gold marker.” He tells her still smiling, her hand reaches for his, Tom moves to sit next to her and wraps his head around her shoulders, the beds in the ER are even more uncomfortable than the ones in the hospital but when Alex leaned closer to him resting her head on his shoulder he realized that he could not complain anymore. “How are you?” he asks her, he knows this question sounds stupid, but he really finds himself asking, she smiles, he can feel it against his skin as she buries her head deeper into his neck. “I’m fine, a bit sore but,” she pauses and raises her head looking straight into his eyes, “They gave me good pain killers.” The look on her face makes Tom laugh, he doesn’t know why really but he couldn’t stop himself, Alex smiles almost proudly before leaning back on his shoulder, “As good as when you were giving birth?” he asks her smirking, “No, but close.” She says her voice muffled from his shirt.

They sit like that for almost half an hour, Tom is almost sure Alex has fallen asleep, her sneeze scares him he tries not to jump too much and disturb her in case she’s still sleeping but when he looks down her blue eyes are looking up at him. He is taken aback, breathless and speechless for a moment or two, it hits him in waives how close he came to actually losing her completely. It takes him a while but he gathers his thoughts together, “Did they tell you when they’ll move you to a room?” he asks her, Alex sits up and takes his hand in hers looking at his watch, “In a couple minutes,” she tells him rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Tom smiles and gets up he doesn’t want the nurses to find him there, last thing he needs is to be scolded by them again, “Listen Tom, I told them to bring Kendra to the same room, I don’t want her spending Christmas alone.” She says, Tom smiles, he should have thought about it first, but he is glad that Alex did. “Of course.” He says, Alex smiles widely, it hits him right there and then that the two of them had become much closer than he was willing or ready to face, he finds himself a little unsure on whether or not he likes that, “When did they two of you became such good friends?” he asks.

“We spend hours building this case Tom, you get close weather you like it or not.” She tells him smirking, Alex sees Tom almost winching, “I am not sure I like that.” He says before sitting down on one of the chairs next to the bed, Alex crosses her arms over her chest “No one asked you.”

* * *

 

“I knew it this room was too big for one person!” Kendra says when she sees Alex being wheeled in Tom helps her in the second bed that was added to the room, it is bigger than he remembers it, he wishes he never has to walk into it again, he kind of remembers himself promising to never do last time he walked out of it but here he was again.

“It’s also the presidential suit Kendra.” Alex mentions pulling the blanket over her with Tom’s help.

“Really?” Kendra asks.

“Yup, ten excruciating slow days right here!” Tom says, he walked on the other side and sat down next to her, once again wrapping his arm around her waist pulling her closer.

“Oh yeah you got shot this year.” Kendra says, Tom chuckles, her tone was surprised and he realizes there’s so many things that happened this past year that getting shot feels like it was decades ago. “Listen this has been a shitty year all around.” He says, Alex smirks, he can feel her kissing his neck softly, it gives him goose bumps all over his back but he doesn’t comment on it, not that it bothers him so much. “It’s not over yet.” Alex says, her voice is sleepy again, the drugs she was given made her drowsy again, he smiles and looks down, “I should be more careful?” he asks, Alex looks up, opening her eyes, “With our luck Tom the hospital will blow up in the next day.” She tells him closing her eyes immediately and leaning on his shoulder again,

“It’s not even funny” he tells her but he smiles.

* * *

 

Alex doesn’t sleep for long, soon she finds herself awake and making jokes with Kendra, the two of them almost forgetting that Tom is in the room, although he still sits next to Alex in the bed and his hand is still around her waist, he doesn’t know why he can’t let go, he tried but couldn’t the brush with death made him realize just how much he loves touching her, feeling her warm skin under his fingers.

He sits back and enjoys the laughter from both Alex and Kendra, the jokes they exchange, he is so taken by the effortless talk the two of them had that he nearly missed his phone ringing. Alex nudges him softly and he is almost snapped out of this haze. He smiles and walks to the door, answering the phone, he hears his son’s voice but the signal isn’t the best. “Hey Leo?”

“Hey dad, we just got to the hospital.” Leo pauses for a moment, “What’s with the laughter?” he asks, Tom turns and looks at Alex and Kendra laughing loudly behind him, he smiles and lowers his head.

“Your mom and Kendra are laughing.” He says, “They’re together?” Leo asks, the surprise obvious in his voice, “Yeah your mom insisted” Tom rolls his eyes as another loud round of laughter filled the room, “Could you two please be a little more quite I can’t hear Leo talking!” he says, Kendra bites her lip and throws a side look to Alex, his wife is smiling smugly and says “Sorry.” Shrugging her shoulders lightly.

“Where are you guys?” he asks Leo “I told you we just pulled in the hospital.”

“Oh ok, we’re in the room I was when I was shot, remember?” Tom tells him, he didn’t think Leo would remember but to his surprise he did, “Yup, we’ll be there in a little while.” Leo says and hangs up the phone; Tom stands there for a moment, the device in his hands not talking or moving he lowers the phone and places it back in his pocket before turning around seeing the two women smiling. Alex looks impatient when she asks him, “Are they coming?” it makes Tom smile, he walks to the bed and sits down next to her again “They just pulled in the building, they’ll be here shortly.” He tells her as his arm wraps around her waist again. “Great.” Alex says.

Tom leans back on the headrest trying to get comfortable but the looks both Alex and Kendra were giving him were driving him a bit uncomfortable. “Why are you both looking at me like this?” he asks, he almost dreads the response he knows almost for sure what they wanted would quite possibly end him in a lot of trouble.

“We want food.” Alex said, Tom looks at her puzzled, “They brought you food.” He reminds them, he knows full well it’s not going to work but he has to try, at least.

“Tom you ate the Jello and that was pretty much the only thing worth eating.” Alex reminds him, he knew it was going to bite him when he was eating the two cups of jello, he should have known better, their mischievous smiles should have told him better.

“Fine, I’ll go tell Mike to bring food.” He says standing up, Alex and Kendra smile widely. Alex reaches forward and grabs his sleeve pulling him closer, “Thank you baby” she whispers to him before kissing his cheek. Tom pulls back, he feels a slight blush on his neck but tries to ignore it so he turns around and walks to the door.

“A veggie pizza please!” Kendra yells delightfully, Tom smiles and turns around his eyes fall on Alex, “What Kendra said.” She tells him, Tom can’t help but roll his eyes, he doesn’t know why; the smile on his lips became permanent almost.

“Fine.” He tells them smiling. He walks out of the room, the rest of the corridor was empty but for the secret service agents stationed on all doors almost. He wonders if there are other patients on the floor he remembers that back when he was hospitalized the rooms around his were empty but he doesn’t know if the same happened this time, he makes a mental note to ask Mike later, he would hate it if they caused an inconvenience to the patients and their families especially on Christmas. Looking at his watch he realizes that there’s still about thirty minutes until it’s not, technically, Christmas anymore and smiles, these were by far the worse holiday season he had gone through, at least so far.

“Mike, where are the kids?” he asks his friend, Mike seemed exhausted, he was leaning against the wall and was startled when he heard Tom’s voice “Sir, they are on their way.” He says, Tom smiles “Alex and Kendra want to eat pizza, veggy, is there any safe pizzeria here around?” Mike smiles “I can get to one.” He says, “Good get a cheese for Penny, two veggies, a ham for Leo and a special for us to share.” He says, Mike looks at him, his eyebrow raised “Share? You must be joking.” He says. “Fine, two specials then.” Tom says smiling.

* * *

 

Penny barges in the room long before Leo or their secret service agents following them with some flowers and two overnight bags.

“Mommy!” Penny jumps on the bed, Tom didn’t have the time to catch her before she landed on Alex squeezing her as tight as her arms allowed her. Leo was standing a few steps back, smiling, with a cold look in his eyes especially when his eyes met with Tom’s. “Hey!” Alex whispers hugging her daughter closer, she runs her hand through her hair trying to calm her, she was surprised that Penny didn’t start crying, she remembers when she learned that Tom was shoot how she reacted, Leo could barely calm her down enough to breathe and she realizes just how important it is that she managed to see her so soon.

“Are you ok mommy?” Penny asks, she doesn’t pull back so her voice is a little muffled by the clothes Alex wears. She smiles and pulls back looking at the little girl in the eyes. She puts on the biggest smile she can muster before trying to calm her, “Yes darling, I’ll be as good as new before you even know it.”


	3. Chapter 3

Alex wakes up slowly, she can feel weight on both her sides as well as her legs, for a moment she doesn’t remember where she was or what happened, all she knows is that she feels like being hit by a bus. And then she remembers that she was hit, although not by a bus but by a truck. She opens her eyes slowly and starts examining what the weight is, Penny is sleeping on her left side, the little girl was easily curled up next to her, her blond soft hair haloing her face, on the other side was Leo, he wasn’t laying on the bed but he merely was lying his head on her arm with his hand holding Penny’s little one. Looking down she sees Tom sleeping, his head on a pillow on her uninjured leg, like Leo the position he is sleeping in seems to be really uncomfortable and Alex almost winches.

Looking to her right she sees Kendra already awake, the two of them lock eyes, there’s a look so weird in Kendra’s eyes that takes Alex’s breath away. “Morning.” She says to the other woman it seems to be what took to snap Kendra out of her haze “Hey, family weight right?” she says pointing to the three people using her as a gigantic pillow.

Alex smiles “Yeah, sweetest of them all.”

* * *

“Are you sure you don’t want me to have the secret service drive you home?” Tom asks Kendra once again, she was standing by her bed packing the few things Tom had Mike bring over for her as well as some of the gifts Penny brought yesterday. She turns around and smiles sweetly, “No sir, don’t worry, Emily will be here to drive me home in five minutes.” She says and turns back to her back bag.

“Alright. If you think so.” He says, Kendra smiles, “I do.” She tells him.

The door to the bathroom swings open and Tom almost gasped when he saw Alex dressed in a dress. “I’m dressed!” she says walking the best she could with her crutches to the bed, “Are you wearing a dress?” Tom asks her showing the deep crimson cotton dress she was wearing. She looks up to him, her eyes narrowing, “I decided to act First Lady like don’t get on my nerves Tom!” she tells him, Tom chuckles and raises his hands in fake surrender, “Sorry, I like it.” He tells her, Alex smiles and leans forward her hands wrapping around his waist pulling him closer, “Of course you do.” She mutters against his shirt. She pulls back fast though; she didn’t want to leave a makeup stain on his favorite blue sweater and turns to Kendra who was now sitting on her bed. “Kendra you’re sure you don’t need a ride?” she asks again, she knows that Tom has asked her many times over if she needs a ride and she always answered no but she figures out that there’s no harm in trying again, maybe this time she’ll agree.

“Ride’s here!” they turn to the door, Tom is slightly startled, she can feel him tensing as she clutches her hand on his side.

“Emily!” Tom says relaxing when he sees the face of his chief of staff standing there smiling.

“Hey, Kendra you’re packed?” she says turning her attention almost immediately to Kendra who stands up and takes her bag from the bed, “Yes, I am.” She says, Emily smiles and reaches for the bag Kendra was holding.

“Then let’s get going secret service will shut down the street in five minutes.” Emily says, she waves to Tom and Alex and walks out of the room in a hurry to be out of the motorcades way as soon as possible.

“Yeah, I don’t think they would let us sneak in the motorcade.” Kendra jokes with Alex and Tom, “Nope” Alex says smiling, she stands up and gives a short hug to Kendra, Tom wraps his arm around her shoulder, “Get some rest Kendra.” He tells her, Kendra smiles and nods, “Will do sir.” She tries to reassure him although they both knew she wasn’t really going to.

* * *

 

Tom takes Alex’s hand and helps her up from the wheel chair, he doesn’t know why she needs to walk out but she insists she does walk the few steps to the car. “Show time” he tells her, she clutches his hand and gives him a smile. The moment they walk outside the hospital there’s a roar, cameras are flashing and Tom has black spots in his vision but Alex seems not to be bothered by it at all, she keeps smiling and waving to the people that have gathered there, they get to the car, Tom groans and leans back, he can feel his head hurting from all the flashing lights “That was a circus.” Alex says when the door is closed and she’s settled in her seat. “That’s why I didn’t want the kids to come.” He tells her, he turns his head to her slowly opening his eyes, she’s leaning back on her seat as well, her head turned to him. “Yeah you were right.” She says. Tom sits up he reaches for her hand and holds it tightly in his. “Why did you want to do the walk?” he asks her, “It’s what first ladies do Tom.”

“They got to you.” He says, he never thought that what commentators say would ever get to her but apparently they did, everything is explained right now, why she wore a dress why she insisted on walking through the front entrance, why not even 12 hours after the accident she was back on the phone trying to organize the celebrations for new year’s.

“What?”

“What the commentators are saying got to you.” She looks away “You can only take so long being called lazy and an embarrassment before you snap.”

“What a surprise they call me those things too.”

* * *

 

“Home sweet home right?” he jokes when the car stops in the underground garage in the White House, Alex smiles and waits for the agent to open her door Tom is still holding her hand tightly, she knows they will have to let go soon but for now she enjoys the contact. Mike opens her door smiling and she walks out, he hands her her crutches and in no time Tom is by her side, he wrapped his arm around her waist helping her to the elevator.

“The kids have probably prepared a small welcome home” he tells her, Alex smiles and leans on his shoulder, “Just the kids?” she asks smiling, Tom turns to her “I might have helped but I invoke executive privilege.”

“Not with me mister.”

* * *

 

“Need any help?” Tom asks Alex after she settles in bed. “No, can you stay?” she asks him, she almost expects him to tell her that he needs to get back to the office, she’s so surprised when she sees him taking off his shoes and sitting next to her in the bed.

“No work?” she asks him, he looks down to her smiling “It can wait.” He tells her wrapping his arm around her shoulders pulling her closer to him.

They stay like that for an hour neither of them spoke but there was something that was bugging Alex a lot, “Tom.” She gets his attention easily, he looks down a smile on his lips, she knows what she’s about to say will make that smile leave but she can’t stop it, she can’t keep it in any longer.

“What’s wrong?”

“We should invite your brother to the New Year’s celebrations.” She tells him, she feels him tensing and pulls back, she looks at him, his hands are curled in fists, his jaw set, she had misunderstood just how much Tom didn’t want to see or have anything to do with his brother. “Why?” he asks but it doesn’t sound like a question to her. “Because he’s your brother Tom. You two haven’t talked in four years.”

“I know how long it’s been.” He says, he stands up Alex just puts her hand on his side of the bed, still warm from his body, he starts pacing up and down, his hands still curled in tight fists. “Our mother was dying and he bailed, I don’t want him anywhere near you or the kids.”

“But the kids want him around Tom. Like it or not Trey is their uncle and they love him, and they miss him!” he stops pacing and turns around, his face is stone cold and it scares her, “I don’t want him here Alex. This is the end, Trey will not set foot in this house!” he walks out of the bedroom slamming the door behind him before she has a chance to say anything else, she’s shocked for a moment just sitting frozen on the bed one hand still touching the warm spot where his body used to be on the bed, the other covering her mouth. She hopes the kids didn’t hear him blowing up but she knows better, Penny might not have but Leo definitely has.

She looks for her phone still left on the bedside table and just dials the first number on the list.

“Daynes?”

“Kendra I need to talk to you, can you come to the White House?”

* * *

 

Kendra gets out of the cab and walks to the east wing entrance, it was less than a day that she and Alex were released from the hospital but Alex’s phone call worried her a lot and she just couldn’t stay at home. She gets to the first floor where the first lady’s office is and sees the door is open, Alex is sitting behind an empty desk “Hey.” Alex looks up “Hey, come in.”

“What did you wanted to talk to me about?” she says sitting down across from Alex. “Tom and I had a fight, bad one.”

“How bad?” Alex chuckles "He’s been avoiding me ever since, send Wyatt to come get him a clean shirt when he spilled his coffee on himself.” She sits back “He lost the opportunity to come upstairs to see you and the kids?” Alex nods “What was the fight about?”

“Tom has a brother, Trey they had a falling out four years ago when their mother died, and they haven’t talked since then.” Kendra is shocked “I didn’t even know he has a brother.”

Alex smirks sadly “Yeah Tom doesn’t like to talk about Trey, often he acts as if he doesn’t have a brother at all.”

“What are you planning to do?” she asks Alex, she shrugs, she’s not sure what to do, after the fight they had she doesn’t even know when Tom will be willing to talk to her again.

“What are you suggesting I do?” she asks, Kendra bites her lip, “Well I say you let him be. He might need some time to come to terms; I know for sure, no matter what you can’t hate your siblings.”

* * *

 

Tom looks at the clock in his office, it’s past ten and he doesn’t know what to do, he wants and knows that he needs to get upstairs, get some sleep and rest but he is almost ashamed to get upstairs and face Alex. His reaction this morning was horrible and she would probably be furious at him, he doesn’t really blame her, he is furious with himself as well. He doesn’t know why the mere mention of Trey’s existence brings so many emotions out.

He tries to remember back when there was a time when he was glad to have his brother around, when the thought of him being there, in the same space as him was a nice and almost entertaining prospect rather than an angering one. The minutes pass agonizingly slow, he wonders how upset Alex will be with him if he stays in the office any longer, she hates it when he returns to the residence after midnight. He looks at the couch in his office and wonders in how much more trouble he will be if he sleeps here, probably not more than he already is.

He walks to the coffee table and pulls out the blanket he keeps in the drawer under it. He tries to create a make shift bed in the larger couch in the room and lies down. He chuckles, if only the press caught a sight of the president sleeping in his office, not having the guts to even go upstairs to his house. He closes his eyes and pulls the blanket closer to his face, even though the building is always well heated he feels like shivering, he can’t remember the last time he couldn’t get warm no matter what.

He was just falling asleep when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder, he’s startled and almost jumps up. It takes him a while to focus on the person standing above his head. “Alex.” He slowly sits up, avoiding her eyes, Alex slowly sits down next to him, her bright red cast constricting her moves. “I was waiting for you to come upstairs.” She says, it’s not accusatory, it surprises him a bit how calm and collected her voice is. “I…” he doesn’t know what to say, how to explain to her what was happening. “I didn’t want to wake you up.” She chuckles “You honestly thought after what happened earlier I would be sleeping? Come on Tom, you’re smarter than that.”

He lowers his head he knew she would be waiting for him “You were avoiding me.” She simply says, it shocks him to hear it from her own lips, there’s a tone of resignation in her voice, it’s scary. “More avoiding the subject.” He says, he sees her smiling, she knew he was, of course she did, seventeen years together she knows him better than he knows himself.

“I’m sorry I went off on you like that, you,” he stops and looks down, “You were right, we should invite Trey, but can we wait?” Alex looks at him in shock, apparently she didn’t expect this response from him “We could invite him for the state of the union address, it’s coming up right?” Tom groans, he had almost forgotten that January brings the state of the union address he sees Seth and the rest of the communications team carrying some extra weight but he had tried to push it farthest away from his mind. This wouldn’t be his first address to a joint session of congress but this would be the first time he would speak not only to a joint session of congress but in the new capitol building as well, in the same spot where just a year ago thousands lost their lives.

“Tom?” Alex softly nudges him, “What you say?”

“Um, yeah.” She smiles but it’s short lived, she can see the worry and almost fear in his eyes, slowly she wraps her arm around his shoulder “Tom what’s bothering you?” she asks him, Tom looks at her biting his lip, “It’s the state of union Alex, one year. I’ve been president for one year.”

* * *

 

Kendra was really looking forward spending the night with Jake, she started pushing her doubts about him to the back of her mind, they were together for three months now and everything was going on fine, he was there for her whenever she needed him, supporting and understanding.

“Hey.” She says opening the door, Jake was standing on the other side, he looked disheveled, his tie undone, his hair a mess, “You ok?” she asks him, “Yeah.” He says, the scent of alcohol fills her nostrils as he opens his mouth “Were you drinking?” she asks him as he walks inside the room.

“I was out with some friends that work in the White House” he sits down on her couch and puts his feet on her coffee table, Kendra rolls her eyes, he knows how much this annoys her but she lets it pass.

“So you though that it was a right idea to get hammered?” she is pissed off, she was cooking for two hours made sure she cleaned the entire house and had bought two bottles of expensive wine for them.

“They told me an interesting story.” He says, there’s something in his eyes that scares Kendra, she chooses to stay standing behind the arm chair, she doesn’t know why but she’s sure she has seen this movie before.

“Was it about the president coming to work wearing two different shoes.” She says sarcastically, she wasn’t wrong entirely, in the past weeks the stress of everything had gotten to him and he would be often seen wearing mismatched socks, or suits and once even shoes. “No it was about the president’s whore.” She’s taken aback for a moment but then she wants to laugh, if it was any other president with the exception of one or two she would have believed him but she knew for a fact that Tom Kirkman would not cheat on his wife. “Your friends are yanking your chain; the president would never cheat on his wife.” She says.

“That’s exactly what his whore would say.” She understands where he goes with it, finally and she can feel her blood boiling. “Whatever you want to say to me, say it.”

“Are you fucking the president?” he asks her, Kendra chuckles, this was the most ridiculous thing she has heard in her life.

“No, and get out of my house.” She walks to the door and opens it. He doesn’t move from the couch looking at her with a smug look on his face. “Or what? Will you call the secret service to get me out?”

“Why not, since I’m apparently sleeping with the president.  Get out!”

* * *

 

Alex had just started falling asleep when she was startled awake by her phone, she feels Tom nudging her as he buries his face deeper in his pillow and smiles. Taking the phone from the side table and answers it.

“Hello?” she didn’t notice who it was on the other side. “Alex.” She is shocked to hear Kendra’s voice, she is heaving, clearly crying and it makes Alex worried “Are you ok?” she asks not caring keeping her voice down for Tom. “Kendra!” she calls her name when she doesn’t get an answer, Tom sits up next to her, his hand on her shoulder, “Kendra please talk to me.” Alex was getting desperate Kendra seemed to be in another world not hearing her between her sobs.

“What’s going on?” Tom asks her, Alex shrugs she doesn’t have a clear answer anyway, he leans closer and hears Kendra whispering she’s fine between sobs and looks at Alex, “She’s not fine” she mouthed to him, Tom nods and leans back taking his phone and walking away from Alex, “Mike? I need a favor.”


	4. Chapter 4

Alex hanged up the phone with Kendra and looks to Tom, he was standing leaning against the door to the bathroom, “Is Mike there?” she asks him, “He’s probably at her door by now.”

“I’m sorry we woke you up” Tom smiles and walks back to the bed sitting next to Alex his arm almost instinctively wraps around her shoulders “It’s ok, I’m used to sleeping about three hours per night. I get cranky on too much sleep.” He jokes.

“You still need to sleep Tom.”

“I know I’ll go to the Lincoln bedroom get some sleep there.”

* * *

Alex couldn’t wait in the bedroom any longer and just got up walking to the entrance of the residence the agent was sitting there and got up as soon as he saw her, Alex thanks him and sits down letting her crutches on the side. “Ma’am are you alright?” he asks her, Alex smiles and nodes “Yeah I’m waiting for Miss Daynes.”

It doesn’t take long for the doors of the elevator to open, Kendra is bundled in Mike’s coat, it’s way too big for her, Alex smiles and nods to Mike who just turns and leaves. Kendra turns to him to give him his coat but he’s already in the other side of the corridor. Alex takes her crutches and leads Kendra to the master bedroom closing the door behind them.

“Can you tell me what happened?” she asks Kendra as soon as they sit on the bed. Alex throws the blanket over Kendra’s legs and she goes to Tom’s side of the bed and sits down next to her. “Did Jake do something?” Kendra nods; she sees her biting her lip, “He called me the president’s whore.” Alex sat there frozen, she bites her lip, “Why would he do that?” she manages to ask her after some time.

“He thinks,” she pauses trying to find the words “Someone working in the White House is talking about the president cheating on you with someone. And they’re saying that someone is me.” Kendra looks Alex laughing hysterically when she finishes her sentence “Alex?” she asks, “Really? They honestly believe that Tom is cheating on me with you?” Kendra is puzzled she doesn’t know why Alex is finding this so funny but doesn’t say anything “If anything they should think I’m cheating on him with you! We spend far more time together!”  Kendra opens her mouth in shock, she’s glad that Alex didn’t take the rumors seriously “And anyway if Tom were to cheat on me he would be smarter than do it with one of my friends.”

* * *

 

Tom finds himself unable to sleep, he twists and turns around in the bed for an hour before he quits trying to sleep. He gets up and walks to the door to see which agent is on duty out there, maybe he’d be lucky enough and will be someone he actually likes. He’s surprised when he sees Mike sitting there a crossword puzzle in his hands biting the top of the pencil.

“Mike?” he looks up from his crossword puzzle and smiles “Can’t sleep sir?” he asks.

“No, don’t tell Alex.” He says leaning against the door frame, he didn’t want to admit it at first but he is not used to sleeping alone. “Come in, I need company and I don’t want to stay in the corridor in my boxers.” Mike looks at him with his eyebrow raised “Not if you are in your boxers!”

* * *

 

“I’m glad you didn’t take it seriously” Kendra says, Alex looks at her surprised “You were thinking I would?” Kendra bites her lip and looks at her “Kendra right now Tom is lying awake in the Lincoln bedroom, twisting and turning in his boxers because he can’t sleep alone. You really think I would be worried about Tom cheating?” Kendra chuckles, “Well when you put it like that.” The two of them start laughing, it’s relaxing and given that their first day out of the hospital was one mess after the other.

“What happened with the fight you had with the president?” Kendra asks, Alex smiles “Well his clothes are thrown in the seating area” she says showing the pants and shirt thrown in the back of the couch in across from the bed. “You guys made up.” Kendra states “Yeah.”

Kendra looks at her with a clear question in her eyes “What happened?” she asks when Alex doesn’t give her anything more.

“He agreed to invite his brother over for the state of the union address.”

* * *

 

“There I’m wearing sweatpants happy now?” Tom says, hands on his waist. “Very.” Mike says, Tom walks to the seating area next to the bedroom and sits across from Mike, “I really want to thank you for getting Kendra.” Mike smirks and nods “No problem she was really distraught when I got there.” Tom looks at him worried, “Did she tell you what the problem was?” he asks Mike nods his head negatively “No she didn’t say much, I found her waiting outside the house in her pajamas shivering” Tom is shocked, his eyes opening wide “What? Why would she?” Tom asks, Mike shrugs “I don’t know, maybe the first lady will make her speak.” He says.

“Mike, you’ve seen Alex and I naked when it’s just us you can use our names.” Tom says Mike smiles and looks down for a moment. “Well it’s a matter of respect sir.” Mike said smiling.

“Calling me sir, or Mr. President, or calling Alex ma’am or referring to her as the first lady doesn’t dictate respect. There’s a lot of people calling us by those titles when every other word from their mouths is filth. You don’t have to call us that to show your respect Mike. I know and so does Alex.” He sees Mike rolling his eyes “Whatever you say you annoying prick.”

* * *

 

Alex wakes up she feels disoriented when she realizes that she’s cuddling with someone very different from Tom, someone who actually has boobs. She opens her eyes and finds herself and Kendra cuddling each other. She turns and nearly screams when she sees Tom sitting on the edge of the bed. He’s smirking looking at the picture in front of him “Told you Kendra would get you to cuddle her, she made Lyor Boone cuddle her.” he says standing up, Alex narrows her eyes but doesn’t say anything to him, Tom leans over her and kisses her, Alex smirks “You getting ready for work?” she asks him as he pulls back “Yeah. I have a few meetings but I’ll probably be back by 4pm, 5 tops.” He says. Alex smiles widely “Great, I’ll keep your lawyer home today” Alex tells him, Tom smiles “Yeah I imagined, if we need Kendra I’ll call you, but I’m sure we can survive a day without her.” he says smiling.

Tom gets ready for work fast and without waking Kendra up, Alex enjoys seeing him move around the room, she realizes how much she missed seeing him getting ready for work, he moves around the room as quickly and effortlessly as he did at their old place in New York and realizes that even thought they live in a house with someone else’s furniture he has made the house his own.

He stops at the door and turns around looking at her for a moment mouthing “I love you” before he turns and leaves the room. She gets a flashback back when they first moved in the White House, when he walked the morning after the attack in the capitol when he walked in Penny’s room to see how they were before he left for his new office.

Alex leans back on the bed and looks at Kendra still sleeping next to her. She wonders how they got to this point, she clearly remembers a time when she could barely stand being in the same room as Kendra Daynes and now she is her first call when her boyfriend is a complete asshole.

“Hey.” Alex says when she sees Kendra wake up, “Hey, what time is it?” she asks, “It’s 10am”

“Fuck I’m late!” Kendra says sitting up looking around. “It’s ok, the boss let you off.” Alex says smiling, Kendra turns around and looks at Alex “Really?”

“He said they’ll survive without you for a day.”

The two of them take their breakfast in silence, she’s glad her mother took the kids to her place yesterday although was surprised that Leo agreed to go. There was something she wanted to ask Kendra but didn’t know how to say it. “Kendra” Kendra puts her cup down and looks at Alex, she doesn’t say anything but there are a thousand things running through her mind. She knows that she shouldn’t be as worried but she can’t really stop herself.

“I want you to spend New Year’s with us. There’s going to be a small party for the change of the year.” Alex stops and looks at Kendra for a moment, she doesn’t know exactly what to expect, she knows Kendra’s mom is not in D.C. and she doesn’t want to leave her alone for new year’s but she also knows that Kendra will try to avoid coming mainly because she would think that she’s a burden to them.

“I,” Alex stops her, “Kendra, I’m not asking, you’re spending new years with us; if your mom is in D.C. then she can come with you.”


	5. Chapter 5

Alex never thought that planning a New Year’s Eve party would be so stressful, of course she was never really in charge of planning parties before that was always something that Tom enjoyed more than her so he would take over planning himself. Now though she finds herself two days before the change of the year knee deep in papers having planned the bare minimum. The communications team suggested they don’t do something too big or public and Alex right now feels like screaming at the thought of what a normal New Year’s Eve party is like.

“Have any time?” she looks up Tom is leaning against the door frame she’s surprised that she didn’t realize he had opened the door, she closes the folder in front of her and leans back on her chair “Well I’m busy but I can make some time for you Mr. President.” She jokes, Tom smiles and walks inside closing the door behind him. Alex smiles seeing him walk to her and leaning against her desk, “How’s party planning going?” he asks, “How’s the state of the union going?” she asks him back, Tom chuckles “Probably as bad as party planning is going.” He tells her.

“Let’s get lunch” she tells him, Tom looks curiously “What are you proposing?” he asks offering her his arm to help her up from her chair. “Kitchen makes amazing burgers”

* * *

 

Tom walks in the wardrobe and finds Alex sitting in front of her closet looking at the dresses hanging there her leg on the footstall her head resting on her palms “Alex?” Tom puts his hand on her shoulder trying to get her attention “What’s going on?” he asks her, Alex sits up and shows him the closet in front of them “I got nothing to wear.” She tells him, Tom looks at the dozens of clothes in front of them and feels an uncontrollable need to laugh. He manages to keep it down knowing Alex will be extremely pissed at him and he doesn’t need that just hours before the year changes. “Alex baby, I can see at least six gorgeous dresses from here.” He tells her, Alex turns to him and looks at him with a look that sends chills down his spine. “Like what?” Tom walks in front of the closet and takes out a red dress he sees “Here!” he tells her showing it, “Spaghetti straps and red, communications said I avoid wearing any bright colors, so red, gold, white light blue all out.” Tom bites his lip and puts the hanger back in, he dives in the closet again but for some reason he feels like setting himself up. He finds a black dress he never saw before so he pulls it out showing it to Alex. “How about this?”

“It’s strapless Tom!” the look of confusion on his face makes her laugh and she stands up “I appreciate your try to help me Tom, but don’t worry I think I found what I’ll wear.” She tells him and stands up “Why are there so many rules about clothes?” he asks, Alex sees at his face, he looks confused and adorable to her “Many.”

* * *

 

Tom decides to go and help Penny getting ready he repeats in his head what Alex told him of what clothes he should tell her to wear. Of all the things that had changed in their lives this was the one he could not understand at all.

He stops outside of Penny’s room, some lights catch his eyes out the window and walks there, he looks out the window, there’s many people out there, in front of the White House, he remembers last time he saw that, they were holding candles in their hands and there were tears in their faces as they were looking at the pictures of all the people lost in the bombing just a short day prior. Now thought most are standing on the well lightened road, no candles in their hands most had drinks in their hands, colorful hats and some were holding balloons.

“It’s nice seeing them so happy right” he is startled when he hears Alex behind him, he turns around seeing her stand there, she’s wearing a black dress he remembers seeing her wear at their civil wedding, it was just the two of them, they didn’t even told their parents what they were going to do. He still remembers the looks from the people in the building, most believing that wearing black at a wedding is bad luck.

“It is” he says wrapping his arms around her waist. “You look as great as I remember” Alex smiles “Thanks”

“Tom?” she sees he’s still distraught, he’s looking out of the window “You ok?” she asks him, Tom turns around and smiles “Yeah,” he stops and takes a deep breath “Let’s hope next year is better.” Alex smiles “It will be.”


End file.
